Vic Fangio was fired Sunday morning as coach of the Denver Broncos after leading 19-30 for three seasons.
Team president and CEO Joe Ellis, who is stepping down at the end of the year, said general manager George Paton will have “full power to choose the next head coach.”
“This morning, George and I informed Vic of our decision to part ways with him as head coach,” Ellis said in a statement. “Over the past three seasons, Vic has put his heart and soul into coaching the Broncos. I would like to thank Coach Fangio for his utmost effort for our organization since the day he was hired. “
Fangio released his own statement in which he thanked the organization and the fans, and praised Paton as one of the NFL’s top GMs: “Broncos fans, you have a very cool George great.”
Fangio said he appreciates “the fight and character you guys showed each week. Regardless of the adversity, circumstances or challenges we faced, you guys never backed down. I’m proud of myself. Proud to be associated with this group of fighters and opponents.”
And he reiterated that the franchise is on a great comeback.
“The foundation was laid for this team to be able to achieve great things,” he said. “The future is bright for the Denver Broncos, and I wish the organization nothing but the best.”
The Broncos lost their last four games to finish 7-10, capped by a 28-24 lost to Kansas City on Saturday, in which they took the lead in the fourth inning and extended their losing streak against the captains to 13 games.
Fangio met with Paton before the season finale and outlined his plan to fix the Broncos’ myriad problems that extended the team’s playoff drought to six seasons and a record-breaking losing streak that stretched to five years.
Fangio led Denver 5-11 last season and 7-9 in 2019 after he replaced Vance Joseph, who was fired after two failed seasons.
Fangio got the job after more than three decades as an assistant, and he made his mark as a defensive master during his time in Denver. But the Broncos didn’t win, and it cost him his job.
Fangio and Paton succeeded when Paton was hired last year to replace John Elway. They watched the sketch live, and many felt their close relationship would help Fangio survive a losing third season.
“I have the utmost respect for Vic and all that he has achieved in the NFL,” Paton said in a statement. “Over the past year, I have come to appreciate the cooperation, friendship and tireless work ethic he has shown as our head coach.
“Vic will continue to have great success in this tournament, and I thank him for everything he’s done for the Broncos and me personally.”
Fangio is not expected to work long. He will be a candidate for the position of defensive coordinator in a new coach change this month.
Fangio’s creative formations have helped the Broncos keep up some of the best young defenders even as his defence has been depleted by injury or COVID-19. The long list of QBs who have had the toughest days of their careers against Fangio’s teams include Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes.
Last month, the Broncos held Joe Burrow 157 yards. Burrow followed up that difficult afternoon with a two-game draw against Baltimore and Kansas City, in which he threw a total of 971 yards and eight touchdowns.
However, Fangio’s teams struggled fiercely in attack and specials and his game management skills, including the use of timeouts, challenges, and coin handling. lake, was questioned during all three of his seasons in Denver.
The Broncos averaged more than 10,000 absences in their last six home games, including nearly 15,000 Saturday, a sign that the fan base has grown frustrated with Fangio.
The Broncos were still in the crowded AFC playoffs in mid-December before losing their last four games.
Asked on Saturday about his 5-13 record in the AFC West, including a 0-6 difference against the captains, Fangio said, “Well the other three teams have top midfielders, this who also clearly seen.”
Equally obvious is how the Broncos have failed to find their own top passer, swinging and missing the likes of Paxton Lynch, Drew Lock, Case Keenum and Joe Flacco.
The Broncos have gone through 10 starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning’s retirement a month after Denver’s victory in Super Bowl 50, 11 if you include the rerun of Phillip Lindsay, who started against New Orleans in 2020 when all four Denver quarterbacks are on COVID-19 protocol.
One of Paton’s first moves as GM was the acquisition of veteran Teddy Bridgewater, who won 7-7 as a starter for Denver before missing the final three games with a concussion.
Lock, who starts in 2020, has lost all three of his starts despite not turning the ball back after hitting 18 NFL goals last season.
Paton is expected to focus his efforts this season on finding the Broncos’ sixth different starting QB in six seasons.
Thanks to Von Miller’s trade with the Rams, he has 11 draft picks, including 5 in the top 100, to replenish his roster or use as chips to get a veteran through the trade. He will also have close to $70 million in cap space to sign with freelance agents.
With a lot of repair work ahead, Paton has added to his plate a head coach search, and now the team will have to start from scratch on both offense and defense.
